On Friday last week, Suzuki Philippines announced the official pricing for the all-new Jimny All-Grip Pro, the successor to the very popular mini 4x4.

Perhaps the best proof of the popularity of the previous generation model is the fact that it has been manufactured and sold since 1998; that's a 2 decade tenure in showrooms. The Jimny, despite its diminutive dimensions, is very popular with a generally male demographic of customers, particularly with off-roaders who praise its lightness, maneuverability and capabilities on even the most challenging trails.

But at last week's event, Suzuki Philippines executives let us in on something interesting: the new generation Suzuki Jimny is proving to be very popular with female customers.

Since the all-new Jimny was first previewed at the Philippine International Motor Show in September 2018, Suzuki Philippines, Inc. has been accepting reservations for interested customers. Based on the data, one executive said that while the Jimny is still popular with a male demographic, the model is also attracting reservations from women.

We were told that 70% of Jimny reservations are from male customers, while 30% are women.

Also, a significant number of lady Jimny customers also ordered the Kinetic Yellow, rather than the more neutral colors.

We asked Suzuki executives, including their head for automobile operations, Keiichi Suzuki, regarding the Philippine allocation for the Jimny. Allocation and supply will be the main issue given the worldwide demand for the new mini 4x4 and the fact that only one Suzuki factory in Japan produces the vehicle; in fact, the Philippine launch was held back given the model's global appeal.

While Suzuki Philippines, Inc. (SPI) executives declined to give official numbers, they did indicate to us that that they've received an good allocation from Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) in numbers that are “significant”.

We'll have to wait and see if the supply can meet local demand, but by all indicators, Suzuki Philippines has a very strong model on their hands.